Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta took the opportunity to thank former striker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang for his services to the club ahead of his return to the Emirates with Chelsea.
Aubameyang will return to the Emirates to face Arsenal for the first time since his controversial departure from the club last year on Tuesday night with Chelsea.
Arteta has insisted that despite the contentious nature of his exit, he deserves a warm reception from the north London crowd that sang his name for years.
“Let’s say thank you, pay respect and gratitude for what he was. He was an incredible player for us, scored a lot of goals, he was our captain, and he deserves that.”
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🗣️ "Say thank you, pay him the respect and gratitude for what he was. He was an incredible player for us."
Mikel Arteta on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returning to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal as a Chelsea player pic.twitter.com/1zvwGCtj9w
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 2, 2023
Aubameyang signed for Arsenal in 2018 for a £56 million fee and spent over three years at the club, earning FA Cup and Community Shield titles alongside the Premier League Golden Boot.
The 33-year-old scored 92 goals in 163 games for Arsenal and provided 21 assists, living up to the high potential Gunners supporters set following his move from Borussia Dortmund.
Arteta began to leave the Gabonese striker out of his matchday squads, citing ‘disciplinary reasons’ and Aubameyang was stripped of the club captaincy soon after.
He left the club by mutual consent in February 2022 and subsequently joined Barcelona, making 24 appearances before Chelsea snapped him up for £10m last September.
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According to Premier League betting sites, Aubameyang is the joint favourite with Joao Felix to score for Chelsea if he starts, at a price of 10/3.
He has started just four games for the Blues this season, scoring once in an away win at Crystal Palace.
Frank Lampard rolled the dice and subbed Aubameyang on as Chelsea found themselves 1-0 down at home to Brentford last Wednesday, but the game finished with the visitors doubling their lead.
Kai Havertz is expected to lead the line for the travelling side tonight but with Lampard’s erratic team selection since his appointment, nothing is set in stone.
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